Providing volume indicators based on received images of containers

ABSTRACT

In order to aid a user in filling a container with a target volume of a substance, an image is received. The image includes a view of the container and a view of a reference object. The reference object has a known dimension. The view of the reference object and the view of the container are then compared with reference to the known dimension. Based on the comparison, a volume of the container is determined. Based on the volume of the container, a volume indicator is provided.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to data processing, and morespecifically, providing a user with a volume indicator generated basedon images of a container received by a head-mounted display.

Head-mounted displays (e.g., optical head-mounted displays, headwearable devices, head-mounted apparatuses) are becoming increasinglypopular. In some configurations, such a device may include a frame thatis adapted to be mounted upon the head of a user. Items positioned on orwithin the frame may include a microphone, a speaker, a camera, aprojector, and a reflective surface (e.g. a display) adapted forreflecting, into the eyes of the user, a virtual image projected fromthe projector. A computer system or portion thereof (e.g., a centralprocessing unit (CPU)) may also be positioned within the frame and maybe electrically coupled to one or more of the other parts of thehead-mounted display.

In some configurations, head-mounted displays may be configured toprovide augmented reality. As used herein, augmented reality may referto a real-time view of a real-world, physical environment that issupplemented by one or more virtual displays (e.g., computer-generatedgraphics, virtual images). When providing augmented reality with ahead-mounted display, the virtual images projected into the eyes of theuser by the display may appear as though they are positioned on top of,or in front, of one or more real-world objects located within the user'sfield of vision.

SUMMARY

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, aspects of thedisclosure may include a method. As part of the method, an image isreceived. The image includes a view of a container and a view of areference object. The reference object has a known dimension. The viewof the reference object and the view of the container are then comparedwith reference to the known dimension. Based on the comparison, a volumeof the container is determined. Based on the volume of the container, avolume indicator is provided.

According to some embodiments, aspects of the disclosure may alsoinclude a system for aiding a user in filling a container with a targetvolume of a substance. The system includes a head-mounted apparatus anda camera mounted on the head-mounted apparatus. The camera is configuredto capture an image that includes a view of the container and a view ofa reference object. The reference object has a known dimension. Thesystem also includes a computer electrically coupled to the head-mountedapparatus. The computer includes a memory and a processor incommunication with the memory. The processor is configured to comparethe view of the reference object and the view of the container withreference to the known dimension. The processor is further configured todetermine, based on the comparison, a volume of the container. Thesystem further includes a reflective display mounted on the head-mountedapparatus. The reflective display is configured to project, based on thevolume of the container, a volume indicator.

According to some embodiments, aspects of the disclosure may alsoinclude a computer program product for aiding a user in filling acontainer with a target volume of a substance. The computer programproduct includes a computer readable storage medium having programinstructions embodied therewith. These program instructions areexecutable by a computer to cause the computer to perform a method. Aspart of this method, an image is received from a camera. The imageincludes a view of the container and a view of a reference object. Thereference object has a known dimension. The view of the reference objectand the view of the container are then compared with reference to theknown dimension. Based on the comparison, a volume of the container isdetermined. Based on the volume of the container, a volume indicator isprovided to a head-mounted display.

The above summary is not intended to describe each illustratedembodiment or every implementation of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings included in the present application are incorporated into,and form part of, the specification. They illustrate embodiments of thepresent disclosure and, along with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the disclosure. The drawings are only illustrative of someembodiments and do not limit the disclosure.

FIG. 1 illustrates a flowchart diagram of an example method for aiding auser in filling a container with a target volume of at least onesubstance, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates a diagram depicting an individual using ahead-mounted display to obtain a width measurement of a referenceobject, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates a diagram depicting the individual of FIG. 2 usingthe reference object to obtain a volume measurement of a container, inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a diagram depicting the head-mounted displayproviding to the individual a virtual visual display superimposed on thecontainer of FIG. 3, in accordance with embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a diagram depicting the head-mounted displayproviding the individual with an additional visual indicator (inaddition to the virtual visual display of FIG. 4) in order to inform theindividual that a target volume of a first substance has been added tothe container, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates a diagram depicting the head-mounted displayproviding the individual with a second additional visual indicator inorder to inform the individual that a second target volume of a secondsubstance (in addition to the first substance added in FIG. 5) has beenadded to the container, in accordance with embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart diagram of an example method for aiding auser in recording a new mixture recipe for subsequent reuse, inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 illustrates a high-level block diagram of an example computersystem that may be used in implementing one or more of the methods,tools, and modules, and any related functions or operations, describedherein, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternativeforms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in thedrawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood,however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to theparticular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is tocover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to data processing, and morespecifically, to providing a user with a volume indicator generatedbased on images of a container received by a head-mounted display. Whilethe present disclosure is not necessarily limited to such applications(e.g., some embodiments may not require head-mounted displays), variousaspects of the disclosure may be appreciated through a discussion ofvarious examples using this context.

In some situations an individual may wish to fill a container (e.g., aglass, a mug, a bucket, a sink) with a certain amount of one or moresubstances (e.g., various liquids or granular solids). In order toobtain an accurate estimate of how much of each substance to add to thecontainer to achieve the target amounts, the individual may be requiredto use a measuring cup or other secondary container that is speciallyconfigured for measuring volume. This may pose difficulties, forexample, in situations where a measuring cup is unavailable. In othersituations, a measuring cup may be impractical, for example, in asituation where an individual is trying to fill a bathtub with aspecific amount of water that is several gallons in volume.

In some embodiments, an individual may be able to fill a container witha target volume (e.g., a user desired volume) of a substance with theaid of a head-mounted display, rather than with the aid of a measuringcup. In such embodiments, certain techniques known to those skilled inthe art, such as object recognition, edge detection, and color analysis,may be utilized. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the head-mounteddisplay may aid the individual in filling the container by generatingand providing to the individual a volume indicator (e.g., an auditorysignal or digital visual overlay) that is configured to help theindividual know when the container has been filled with the targetvolume of the substance. In some embodiments, as used herein, filling acontainer with a substance may include adding a quantity of a substanceto the container even in situations where the container remains onlypartially full after the addition (e.g., filling a cup half-full withwater).

Referring now to FIG. 1, shown is a flowchart diagram of an examplemethod 100 for aiding a user in filling a container with a target volumeof at least one substance, in accordance with embodiments of the presentdisclosure. In some embodiments, the method may be performed by ahead-mounted display that is mounted on the head of the user. Further,the head-mounted display may be electrically coupled to (e.g., it maycontain) a computer configured to perform one or more of the operationsdescribed in reference to the method 100. The computer may include, forexample, the computer 801 described in reference to FIG. 8.

The method 100 may begin at operation 101, wherein a first image isreceived by the head-mounted display. The first image (or otherreal-world images described herein) may be received via a camera of thehead-mounted display while it is mounted to the head of the user. Thefirst image may be based on a single-frame photograph or based onmulti-frame video content. The first image includes both a view of areference object and a view of a measuring device (e.g., a lengthmeasuring tool, such as a ruler). As used herein, a reference object mayrefer to any object that includes a fixed dimension (e.g., asubstantially invariant length, width, or height). In some embodiments,the reference object may be a human appendage or a portion of a humanappendage (e.g., arm, hand, thumb, finger). Using an appendage may havethe advantage of always being available to the user at the time areference object is necessary.

Per operation 102, the computer of the head-mounted display identifies,based on the first image, a known dimension of the reference object.More specifically, the known dimension may be identified by comparinglength markers on the length measuring tool with the fixed dimension ofthe reference object in order to determine the value (e.g., length) ofthe fixed dimension. Once the known dimension of the reference object isidentified, the reference object can then be used as a reference forobtaining other measurements of other objects.

In some embodiments, rather than performing operations 101 and 102, aknown dimension of a reference object may be determined in other ways.For example, the reference object may itself be a length measuring tool.For another example, the reference object may be measured manually bythe user and then the known dimension may be input into the computerdirectly rather than requiring image-based calculations by the computerto determine the known dimension.

In operation 103, a second image is received by the head-mounteddisplay. The second image includes both a second view of the referenceobject and a view of the container to be filled by the user. In someembodiments, the second image may be taken from the same location or adifferent location relative to the first image. In operation 104, withreference to the known dimension, the second view of the referenceobject and the view of the container are compared by the computer. Inoperation 105, the computer determines, based on the comparison, thevolume of the container. In some embodiments, operations 104 or 105 mayinclude obtaining multiple pixel measurements from the second image, asdescribed in more detail herein. Furthermore, in some embodiments, thecomputer may be able to determine the shape of the container by makingcertain presumptions about the container. For example, based on a viewof a container that shows that half of the container is cylindrical, thecomputer may presume that the container is symmetrical and, therefore,that the whole container forms a full cylinder.

In some embodiments, multiple images (rather than the single secondimage) may be received and analyzed by the computer as part of thedetermining the volume of the container. By relying on multiple imageshaving multiple views of the container and/or multiple views of thereference object, the computer may be better able to determine suchmatters as the shape of the container and the relative sizes of thecontainer and the reference object. This, in turn, may allow thecomputer to output a more accurate value for the volume of thecontainer.

In operation 106, a determination is made as to whether there is anysubstance that is currently in the container (e.g., a small quantity ofliquid that the user has already added to the container). Thisdetermination may be made, for example, using edge detection and coloranalysis techniques in order to identify areas within the container thathave a darker shade than the remainder of the container (e.g., with thedarker-shaded portion corresponding to the current substance in thecontainer). If a determination is made that there is a current substancein the container, then, per operation 107, a third image is received bythe head-mounted display. The third image includes a second view of thecontainer and a view of the current substance. In operation 108, thevolume of the current substance is determined, by the computer of thehead-mounted display, based on the third image. In some embodiments thevolume of the current substance may be calculated by comparing therelative heights of the top surface of the current substance and of thecontainer. For example, in a scenario where a user is using ahead-mounted display to determine how much water (current substance) isin a cylindrical kitchen sink (container), the computer of thehead-mounted display may calculate the volume of the water by firstdetermining that the height of the top surface of the water in the sinkis half of the height of the sink itself. Then the computer may multiply(based on this relative height determination) the known volume of thesink by one-half in order to obtain the volume of the water in the sink.In operation 109, the volume of the current substance in the containeris provided by the head-mounted display to the user. This may occur, forexample, via an auditory output from a speaker of the head-mounteddisplay into the ear of the user.

In operation 110, the computer determines the available volume (e.g.,unused and unallocated portion) of the container. If, per operation 106,the computer determines that there is no substance currently in thecontainer, then the available volume of the container is equal to theentire volume of the container. If, however, there is a currentsubstance in the container, then in operation 110 the computer maycalculate the available volume of the container by subtracting thevolume of the current substance (as determined in operation 108) fromthe volume of the container (as determined in operation 105).

In operation 111, the computer receives an input of the target volume ofthe new substance to be added to the container. This may occur, forexample, when the user states the target volume of the new substanceinto a microphone of the head-mounted display. In operation 112, thecomputer determines, based on the available volume of the container andthe target volume of the new substance, the proper location of a volumeindicator for the new substance. In operation 113, the head-mounteddisplay provides the properly-located volume indicator to the user. Thismay occur, for example, when the display of the device provides to theeye of the user a virtual fill-line superimposed on a wall of thecontainer. The virtual fill-line may be positioned at a height to whichthe new substance will reach when the target volume of the substance hasbeen added to the container. The properly-located volume indicator mayalso include, for example, an aural volume indicator, such as a beepfrom a speaker of the head-mounted display that is timed to go off whenthe proper volume of the substance is added to the container.

In operation 114, a determination is made as to whether the user desiresto add more new substances to the container. For example, the user maywant to add both a certain quantity of tomato juice (first newsubstance) and a certain quantity of carrot juice (second new substance)to the container in order to make a juice mix. If another substance isto be added to the container, then operation 110-113 are repeated.Specifically, a new available volume of the container is calculated (per110), an input of a second target volume of the second new substance isreceived (per 111), a proper location of a second volume indicator isdetermined (per 112), and the second volume indicator is provided to theuser (per 113). Once there are no further new substances to be accountedfor, the method 100 terminates. In some embodiments, many different newsubstances may be added to a container and, accordingly, many volumeindicators may need to be provided to the user.

While an embodiment of the method 100 is provided herein, many othervariants on method 100 are possible. For example, in some embodiments, asingle image (rather than two separate images) may be used indetermining both the volume of a container and the volume of a substancecurrently in the container. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the targetvolume of a substance to be added to a container may not be known to theuser as a particular volume per se. For example, if the user is fillinga three-gallon bucket with water, the user may indicate that his targetvolume of water is one-third of volume of the container rather thanindicating (or even knowing) that this target volume is equal to onegallon of water.

Furthermore, in some embodiments of method 100, a volume indicatorprovided to a user may not be based on the user's desired volume at all,but rather it may be based only on the volume of the container. Forexample, upon calculating that a particular container is twelve ouncesin volume, a head-mounted display may provide the user with a volumeindicator that consists of three lines superimposed on the containerwall, with one line to indicate each of three ounces, six ounces, andnine ounces. This particular volume indicator may be provided to theuser regardless of the amount of the substance that the user intends toadd to the container. Thus, if the user desires to add four ounces of asubstance to the container, then some amount of estimation may be neededon the user's part.

Furthermore, in some embodiments of method 100, a head-mounted displaycould be used not only as an aid for filling up a container, but also asan aid for pouring out of the container. For example, if a user has aneight ounce cup filled to the top with water, the head-mounted displaycould be used to provide a virtual visual display that indicates thelevel to which the water's surface would need to be lowered in order toreach a desired amount of water (e.g., six ounces) in the container. Theuser could then pour water out of the container until the proper levelis reached.

Furthermore, in some embodiments of method 100, a head-mounted displaycould also be used to determine the speed at which a user is filling acontainer and could provide a warning if the user is pouring into thecontainer too quickly. Such a speed determination could be made, forexample, by calculating the change in the volume of the substance beingadded to the container over a short, fixed period of time.

To aid understanding, an example scenario of method 100 being utilizedis provided herein. In this scenario, an individual has received abouquet of flowers from a friend. The individual learns from a gardeningbook that the flowers will last longer if a quarter teaspoon of bleachis added per quart of water provided to the bouquet. The user only has ahalf teaspoon of bleach on hand, so she only wants to add two quarts ofwater to a vase.

The user puts on her head-mounted display and gets out a ruler and acube-shaped vase. She begins method 100 by extending her index fingerand placing it against the side of the ruler. A camera of thehead-mounted display is turned on facing the index finger. The cameracaptures an image including a view of the index finger and a view of theruler (per operation 101). Through object recognition techniques, acomputer of the head-mounted display recognizes the shape of the indexfinger and the shape of the ruler in the image. Using the marks on theruler, the computer determines that the length of individual's indexfinger is 2.5 inches (per operation 102). Once the length is determined,a speaker of the head-mounted display beeps to let the individual knowthat the known dimension of the reference object (i.e., length of thefinger) has been determined.

Next, the individual moves the extended index finger against an edge ofthe cube-shaped vase and aims the camera at this scene. The cameracaptures a second image (per operation 103). The second image includes aview of the vase and a second view of the extended index finger, whichare both recognized by the computer. The speaker of the head-mounteddisplay beeps once more, this time letting the individual know that thesecond image has been received and the individual can remove her indexfinger from the vase.

The computer then compares the view of the vase and the second view ofthe index finger within the second image (per operation 104). Morespecifically, the computer determines, in pixels, the length of thesecond view of the extended index finger and the length of the view ofthe vase edge against which the finger is extended. In this scenario,the length of the second view of the finger is determined to be about500 pixels and the length of the view of the vase edge is determined tobe about 1200 pixels. Based on the known length of the index finger (2.5inches), the computer calculates that an inch is equal to about 200pixels. Using this conversion factor, the computer next calculates thatthe length of the vase edge is about 6 inches. The computer then, byrecognizing that the vase is cube-shaped, determines the volume of thevase is about 216 cubic inches (per operation 105). The computer alsorecognizes from the second image that the vase is dry and empty (peroperation 106) and that the full volume of the vase is, therefore,available to be filled with a new substance by the individual (peroperation 110).

Once the volume of the cube-shaped vase is known, the device speakerstates a request of “How much liquid would you like to add?” into theindividual's ear. The individual responds by stating “two quarts” intothe device microphone (per operation 111). The computer then calculatesthat two quarts is equal to about 116 cubic inches, meaning that thevolume of the water will be about 54% of the volume of the vase, and,therefore, that the water-level will reach about 3.2 inches up the wallsof the vase once the two quarts are added (per operation 112).

The device speaker states that the individual can begin adding liquid tothe vase. The individual moves the vase into her sink, aims the device'scamera at the vase, and begins adding water with a faucet. The computercontinues to monitor (using images from the camera), the height of thewater within the vase. Once the height of 3.2 inches is reached by thetop surface of the water, the device speaker beeps one last time (peroperation 113), and the individual responds by turning off the faucet.The individual then indicates that they do not want to get measurementsfor any additional substances (per operation 114). The individual thensafely adds the half teaspoon of bleach to the two quarts of water andplaces the bouquet in the vase. This completes the project.

It is noted that in the above scenario, the example method 100 isperformed without requiring any visual perception from the individualpreparing the vase. The individual needs to rely only on her touch andon auditory cues from her head-mounted display in order to complete theproject. Based on this example, it becomes clear that some embodimentsof the present disclosure could be used to aid visually-impairedindividuals in filling containers with target volumes of substances.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-6, described is an example of an embodiment ofthe present invention being utilized to aid a barista in filling a mugwith a caffé latte drink order. In this example, the barista is a newhire at a coffee shop who is using a head-mounted display to aid inlearning how to properly make the drinks on the coffee shop's menu.Referring now to FIG. 2 specifically, shown is the barista 201 beginninghis first day of training by donning the head-mounted display 202. Heuses the head-mounted display 202 to measure the width of his thumbnail204 by measuring it against a ruler 203. This measurement is captured bya camera of the head-mounted display 202. Based on this exercise, acomputer of the head-mounted display 202 is able to use the width of thebarista's thumbnail 204 (one-half inch in this instance) as a basemeasurement (e.g., a known measurement of a reference object) for use infuture measurements of other objects within the coffee shop.

Referring now to FIG. 3, as part of his training, the barista 201 grabsa small mug 305 from the shelf and holds it out in front of the cameraof his head-mounted display 202. The computer recognizes the mug 305 andthe barista's thumbnail 204. Based on the relative size of the mug 305,the relative width of the thumbnail 204, and the actual width of thethumbnail 204 (i.e., one-half inch), the computer calculates the volumeof the mug 305 as five ounces. This information is then stored forfuture use by the barista.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the barista 201 receives an order for a smallcaffé latte from a coffee shop customer. The barista picks up the smallmug 305 and, once again, places the mug 305 in front of the camera. Thebarista then asks the head-mounted display 202 for “small caffé latte”.A microphone of the head-mounted display 202 picks up the request andretrieves information about the small caffé latte from its coffee shopdrink database. From the database, the computer learns that small caffélatte requires three ounces of coffee and one ounce of milk. Thecomputer then recognizes the small mug 305 and recalls that it has avolume of five ounces. Based on the relative volumes of the mug 305(five ounces), the coffee (three ounces), and the milk (one ounce), anaugmented reality display is provided to the barista 201. Morespecifically, the computer generates, and a reflective display of thehead-mounted display projects, a virtual visual overlay 406 onto the mug305. As shown, the virtual visual overlay 406 includes severalhorizontal fill lines. One of the lines is labeled as “coffee” and thetop line is labeled with “milk”.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the barista begins pouring coffee 507 from acoffee carafe 508 into the mug 305. The head-mounted display 202 tracksthe level of the coffee 507 in the mug 305. Once three ounces of coffee507 has been added, an additional visual indicator 509 (e.g., a secondvirtual visual overlay) is provided to the barista 201 by the reflectivedisplay. The additional visual indicator 509 includes the words “STOPCOFFEE NOW”. Upon seeing the additional visual indicator 509, thebarista 201 stops pouring the coffee 507.

It is noted that in FIG. 5 the location on the mug 305 of the virtualvisual overlay 406 has shifted more to the barista's left relative toits location on the mug 305 in FIG. 4. This may occur in response to thevantage point of the barista 201 likewise moving as he has slid aroundhis workstation. More specifically, the computer of the head-mounteddisplay 202 may recognize the movement by the barista and shift thelocation of the virtual visual overlay 406 accordingly, so as to ensurethat the virtual visual overlay stays in a usable location on the mug305.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the barista 201 picks up a milk carafe 611 andbegins pouring milk 610 into the mug 305 on top of the coffee 507. Thehead-mounted display 202 tracks the level of milk 610 in the mug 305.Once one ounce of milk 610 has been added, a second additional visualindicator 612 is provided to the barista 201 by the reflective display.The second additional visual indicator 612 includes the words “STOP MILKNOW”. Upon seeing the second additional visual indicator 612, thebarista 201 stops pouring the milk 610. The barista 201 then providesthe small caffé latte to the customer.

It is contemplated that in some embodiments where a head-mounted displayis used for training purposes (such as in the barista example above),the goal may be to have the trainee use the head-mounted display foronly a short period of time to help learn how to complete one or morecontainer filling tasks. After that, the user would be expected to havelearned enough from the device to be able to fill proper amounts withoutthe aid of a head-mounted display.

Referring now to FIG. 7, shown is a flowchart diagram of an examplemethod 700 for aiding a user in recording a new mixture recipe forsubsequent reuse, in accordance with embodiments of the presentdisclosure. This method may be useful, for example, when a user isexperimenting with a new mixture of substances and does not know theamount of each substance he is adding to the mixture. Without creatingan accurate record of the amounts of each substance added, however, itmay be difficult to recreate the recipe later. In some embodiments, themethod 700 may be performed by a laptop computer including a camera, amonitor, and a microphone. The method 700 may begin with the laptopdetermining, per operation 701, the volume of a container to be used increating the recipe. In some embodiments, this may involve performing,with the laptop, operations 101-105 of method 100 of FIG. 1. The usermay then place the empty container in front of the laptop's camera. Peroperation 702, the laptop's microphone may receive the name of the firstsubstance to be added from the user. Per operation 703, once the firstsubstance is added to the container, the laptop's camera may capture animage including a view of the container with the first substance in it.Per operation 704, the laptop may determine based on the image and theknown volume of the container, the volume of the first substance thatwas added. Next, per operation 705, a determination is made as towhether any additional substances are to be added to the mixture in thecontainer. For each additional substance that is added operations702-704 are repeated. Once all of the applicable substances are added,the laptop generates, per operation 706, a recipe including the namesand volumes of each substance added to the mixture. In some embodiments,this recipe may be printed out and used by others to recreate themixture created by the user. Further, in some embodiments, the recipemay be used as the basis for performing method 100 of FIG. 1. Forexample, a head-mounted display that receives the recipe generatedaccording to method 700 may use the recipe to provide a volume indicatoron a different container so that a different user can repeat the processand recreate the mixture.

Referring now to FIG. 8, shown is a high-level block diagram of anexample computer system (i.e., computer) 801 that may be used inimplementing one or more of the methods, tools, and modules, and anyrelated functions, described herein (e.g., using one or more processorcircuits or computer processors of the computer), in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the majorcomponents of the computer system 801 may comprise one or more CPUs 802,a memory subsystem 804, a terminal interface 812, a storage interface814, an I/O (Input/Output) device interface 816, and a network interface818, all of which may be communicatively coupled, directly orindirectly, for inter-component communication via a memory bus 803, anI/O bus 808, and an I/O bus interface unit 810.

The computer system 801 may contain one or more general-purposeprogrammable central processing units (CPUs) 802A, 802B, 802C, and 802D,herein generically referred to as the CPU 802. In some embodiments, thecomputer system 801 may contain multiple processors typical of arelatively large system; however, in other embodiments the computersystem 801 may alternatively be a single CPU system. Each CPU 802 mayexecute instructions stored in the memory subsystem 804 and may compriseone or more levels of on-board cache.

In some embodiments, the memory subsystem 804 may comprise arandom-access semiconductor memory, storage device, or storage medium(either volatile or non-volatile) for storing data and programs. In someembodiments, the memory subsystem 804 may represent the entire virtualmemory of the computer system 801, and may also include the virtualmemory of other computer systems coupled to the computer system 801 orconnected via a network. The memory subsystem 804 may be conceptually asingle monolithic entity, but, in some embodiments, the memory subsystem804 may be a more complex arrangement, such as a hierarchy of caches andother memory devices. For example, memory may exist in multiple levelsof caches, and these caches may be further divided by function, so thatone cache holds instructions while another holds non-instruction data,which is used by the processor or processors. Memory may be furtherdistributed and associated with different CPUs or sets of CPUs, as isknown in any of various so-called non-uniform memory access (NUMA)computer architectures.

In some embodiments, the main memory or memory subsystem 804 may containelements for control and flow of memory used by the CPU 802. This mayinclude all or a portion of the following: a memory controller 805, oneor more memory buffers 806A and 806B and one or more memory devices 825Aand 825B. In some embodiments, the memory devices 825A and 825B may bedual in-line memory modules (DIMMs), which are a series of dynamicrandom-access memory (DRAM) chips 807A-807D (collectively referred to as807) mounted on a printed circuit board and designed for use in personalcomputers, workstations, and servers. The use of DRAMs 807 in theillustration is exemplary only and the memory array used may vary intype as previously mentioned.

Although the memory bus 803 is shown in FIG. 8 as a single bus structureproviding a direct communication path among the CPUs 802, the memorysubsystem 804, and the I/O bus interface 810, the memory bus 803 may, insome embodiments, comprise multiple different buses or communicationpaths, which may be arranged in any of various forms, such aspoint-to-point links in hierarchical, star or web configurations,multiple hierarchical buses, parallel and redundant paths, or any otherappropriate type of configuration. Furthermore, while the I/O businterface 810 and the I/O bus 808 are shown as single respective units,the computer system 801 may, in some embodiments, contain multiple I/Obus interface units 810, multiple I/O buses 808, or both. Further, whilemultiple I/O interface units are shown, which separate the I/O bus 808from various communications paths running to the various I/O devices, inother embodiments some or all of the I/O devices may be connecteddirectly to one or more system I/O buses.

In some embodiments, the computer system 801 may be a multi-usermainframe computer system, a single-user system, or a server computer orsimilar device that has little or no direct user interface, but receivesrequests from other computer systems (clients). Further, in someembodiments, the computer system 801 may be implemented as a desktopcomputer, portable computer, laptop or notebook computer, tabletcomputer, pocket computer, telephone, smart phone, network switches orrouters, or any other appropriate type of electronic device.

It is noted that FIG. 8 is intended to depict the representative majorcomponents of an exemplary computer system 801. In some embodiments,however, individual components may have greater or lesser complexitythan as represented in FIG. 8, components other than or in addition tothose shown in FIG. 8 may be present, and the number, type, andconfiguration of such components may vary.

As discussed in more detail below, it is contemplated that some or allof the operations of some of the embodiments of methods described hereinmay be performed in alternative orders or may not be performed at all;furthermore, multiple operations may occur at the same time or as aninternal part of a larger process.

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product. The computer program product may include a computerreadable storage medium (or media) having computer readable programinstructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of thepresent invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, andconventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present disclosurehave been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intendedto be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the describedembodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain theprinciples of the embodiments, the practical application or technicalimprovement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodimentsdisclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: receiving an image from acamera configured to capture the image within a field of view of thecamera, the image including a view of a container and a view of areference object, the reference object having a known dimension andbeing configured to be positionable and repositionable into and out ofthe field of view of the camera, wherein the reference object is aportion of an appendage of a user; identifying the known dimension byobtaining a measurement of the portion of the appendage, wherein themeasurement of the portion of the appendage of the user is a width of athumbnail of the user; comparing, with reference to the known dimension,the view of the reference object and the view of the container;determining, based on the comparing, a volume of the container; anddisplaying, based on the volume of the container, a volume indicator,wherein the volume indicator is a virtual visual overlay superimposed onthe container, wherein receiving the image and the displaying the volumeindicator are performed by a head-mounted display, the head-mounteddisplay including the camera and configured to be mounted upon a head ofa user.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the volume indicator isconfigured to aid a user in filling the container with a target volumeof a substance.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining thevolume of the container is performed by a processor electrically coupledto the head-mounted display, and wherein the determining the volume ofthe container further comprises: identifying, based on the image, ashape of the container; and recognizing the reference object within theimage.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a secondimage, the second image including a second view of the container filledwith a quantity of a substance; determining, based on the second image,a volume of the quantity of the substance; and providing the volume ofthe quantity of the substance to a user.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein the receiving the image and the displaying the volume indicatorboth occur prior to a user beginning to fill the container with asubstance, the method further comprising: receiving, subsequent to theuser beginning to fill the container with the substance, a second image,the second image including a second view of the container filled with aquantity of the sub stance; determining, based on the second image, thata volume of the quantity of the substance is equal to a target volume;and providing, in response to the determining that the volume of thequantity of the substance is equal to the target volume, a secondindicator.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the volume indicator isconfigured to aid a user in identifying when the container has beenfilled with a target volume of a substance and a second target volume ofa second substance.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determinedvolume of the container is an actual volume of the container.
 8. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the determined volume of the container is ameasurement of a maximum amount of substance that the container iscapable of holding.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein, as displayed, thevirtual visual overlay superimposed on the container is superimposedsuch that a majority of the container remains unobscured by the volumeindicator.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining themeasurement of the portion of the appendage further comprises: receivinga reference image, the reference image including a view of the referenceobject and a view of a measuring device; and comparing an aspect of thereference object to markers on the measuring device to determine theknown dimension of the portion of the appendage.
 11. The method of claim1, wherein the obtaining the measurement of the portion of the appendagefurther comprises: receiving manually-input data that indicates a sizeof the portion of the appendage.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein themethod further comprises: receiving a reference image, the referenceimage including a view of the reference object and a view of a measuringdevice; and comparing an aspect of the reference object to markers onthe measuring device to determine the known dimension of referenceobject.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:receiving manually-input data that indicates a size of the knowndimension of the reference object.